Look here, I'm in Augusta, Georgia.
where I used to shine shoes.
Now I go there, Jack, fill up the joint.
You see, I kept the faith
because I believed that I could succeed.
And now I'm a proud member
You can make it, Jack, if you try.
Like a good friend of mine,
Jim Allison, said, if you make it,
you can make it if you try.
Just keep on pushing, Jack.
That credit may feel an impression.
Don't give up. Now dig this.
And stop pitying yourself,
or set back, get up and fight
See a cat can make a jump
if you get up and try to do something
Don't worry about them handouts,
go out there and earn it yourself
to give you nothing, be a man
Like I said before, this is a man world
I had to go out and get it
But thanks to all you people
because you made me what I am
But I showed some initiative,
you seen that I was trying
I was trying to be a man,
and when a cat is trying to make it
You gotta give him a hand
But the catch is not trying to make it,
don't be holding other people back,
and let somebody do it again.
that's when I want the kids to stay in school
You don't have to say what
and go through that routine,
don't go through that thing.
Know what you're talking about,
I know I'm right, you know,
When I hit that bandstand
and started singing and dancing,
if I'm doing the right thing because I know I'm
trying to entertain young people
because they come to see the show
and that's what I'm going to give them,
Now remember this. All right.
our whole entourage of people,
we've got tours from Florida to Rome,
but we won't forget one thing.
The United States of America
Now, hit it one more time,
Don't send me no other place,
just give me some Georgia,
some New York, and some California.
and some South Carolina and Virginia
Some Illinois and some West Virginia
Some Dakota, South Dakota, North Dakota
You see, I can't name all
don't get mad because I just, you know
Just a cat tryin' to keep it goin'
Yeah, I'm comin' from the good Kentucky,
I'm getting it together, you know,
just give me a little time.
Y 'all can check it out when
I done said what I had to say.
Hey, don't forget Washington D .C.
